Describe your final project so I know exactly what you’re sending me.

This is an impromptu recording of a song that just came to me one morning last week. I realized after the fact that it encapsulated the inspiration behind the Listener’s Lodge and decided to add some graphics from the space. Didn’t even consider submitting it here but might as well!

Tell us a little bit about who you are, your harp journey, and why originally came to the Academy. 

Self-taught harpist, composer, producer, teacher, interested in community and creative exploration so joined HHA.

What’s different for you now? What has changed since being in the Academy and anything particular that changed in the last quarter?

My practice has shifted away from perfectionism to presence. Listening to other members’ shares and wisdom has opened me up to realize simple is often most beautiful.

What principles from this quarter have you used in your life, your playing, and/or the development of this project – and how did they play a part in your process?

The modal improv sessions helped me realize I’ve been playing modally my whole life – drawn to dorian and lydian mostly. It actually explained my weird chord progressions and how they just tend to circle around the supposed tonic without resolving to C… it freed me from key signatures and reminded me that my favorite jazz artists live in this space too!

Give a short description of what it took for you to be able to play what you did – whether you recorded and shared it or not – both logistically and emotionally.

It took listening to and honoring my muse in the moment, and avoiding the temptation to overcomplicate and edit the harp accompaniment to death.

What freedom and joy within yourself did you connect with in the process?

I allowed myself to sit down and dedicate time to this beautiful song even though I had other things on my to-do list that morning. It felt liberating and validating to live as an artist in the moment.

What challenges and blocks to your own freedom of expression did you experience in this class and/or project?

I didn’t submit a half-bake or considering submitting a final beginning project because I had this notion in my head that it had to be some grand song related to my album to be worthy of such a submission…. then I realized I could just submit something I already had! That even the little things count. Especially.

What other parts of your life were impacted by what you learned this quarter, and how?

Helen reminded me in a morning chat that I should plan to play 70-80% of my ability for my upcoming wedding ceremony gig. In that moment I felt so held by this community (my Harp Aunties…) and reminded that I deserve grace, and it doesn’t have to be so hard!

What were your personal “Ahas” and breakthroughs this quarter and did they come thru the chats, a specific class, or the development of a project, a practice, or something else?

I realized that I’ve been trying to invent things I think are worthy of being seen or that will please people, when I’ve had a treasure trove of little half-bakes in my pocket this whole time.

Describe your final project so I know exactly what you’re sending me.

This is an original song I wrote at the end of the quarter. 

Attach your homework in PDF or JPEG format here:

Grave to the Cradle.pdf

Describe your written materials – if there’s anything in particular you want to say about it to help people know what they’re looking at, add that here.

A PDF of the lyrics with chords

Tell us a little bit about who you are, your harp journey, and why originally came to the Academy. 

I’m a singer-songwriter & I play harp & guitar. I played harp for about 25 years & was mostly on the page. I stopped playing for about 20 years & joined the Academy in 2023 when I was ready to begin playing again. I joined because I wanted to learn how to play interesting arrangements and to improvise freely.

What’s different for you now? What has changed since being in the Academy and anything particular that changed in the last quarter?

I’ve learned that I don’t have to play anything fancy for it to be beautiful. Playing expressively is far more important than trying to be impressive with lots of notes–especially if I’m singing! For me, the harp is there to support the song, and I’m beginning to appreciate sparse arrangements & giving the notes a chance to breathe. At the same time, my fingers are learning to dance.

What principles from this quarter have you used in your life, your playing, and/or the development of this project – and how did they play a part in your process?

I was thinking about modes when I wrote this song, and I’m pretty sure it goes between Aeolian & Lydian. I also feel like each quarter I make progress towards more fluent playing & improv. As a recovering perfectionist, I have embraced the connection NOT perfection mantra in many parts of my life & I’m a much happier person as a result, so a HUGE THANK YOU for that!!!

Give a short description of what it took for you to be able to play what you did – whether you recorded and shared it or not – both logistically and emotionally.

I recorded 4 takes & ended up using the 1st one. It was quite late at night & I ran out of energy. This isn’t the performance I was striving for, but it’s a good snapshot of a song that I’m still learning to own. The other takes had lever issues, but they sounded a bit more fluid & had better improv sections, so I struggled with which version to submit. The bad levers were more jarring than what’s lackng in this take, so I chose it in the end.

What freedom and joy within yourself did you connect with in the process?

Freedom to listen to the mistakes as interesting diversions.

What challenges and blocks to your own freedom of expression did you experience in this class and/or project?

Being stressed about homeowner stuff & poor time management were probably my biggest challenges. I was also doing a lot of repertoire maintenance, so I wasn’t able to spend as much time as needed to let this new piece sink in.

What other parts of your life were impacted by what you learned this quarter, and how?

Learning to not listen for bad notes has made me more willing to observe discomfort & then attempt to transform it. Still working on my transformation skills 😉

What were your personal “Ahas” and breakthroughs this quarter and did they come thru the chats, a specific class, or the development of a project, a practice, or something else?

I did not have much time to go thru classes this quarter, but the chats were really helpful. The biggest aha’s are probably around rhythm and shapes. Peeling the layers of those onions.

If your experience of this quarter was a story and had a title, what would the title be?

Wondering into Modes

Is there anything else you want people to know when they watch your video?

I included a PDF with the lyrics & chords 

Describe your final project so I know exactly what you’re sending me.

Wellstrings Harp Ensemble playing DHC’s “The Nightingale”. This video is almost 5 min long. Please start sharing at the 2 min mark

What principles from this course or from chats did you use to develop, perform, and record this project – and how did they play a part in your process?

Playing this piece embodied all the Strings of Passion. Learning to play with others (Impulse, Structure, Character, Deconstruction) and listening to each other (Roles). Each person played a part in creating the final outcome – to bring the music to life (Lift-Off)

Give a short description of what it took for you to be able to play what you did – both logistically and emotionally.

Practices and Practicing – I worked on using a metronome and listening to others in the group. We created a recording with a click track so each of us could be able to practice without the whole group but still feel apart and be able to hear how our part fit in to the whole

What freedoms and blocks within yourself did you connect with (or struggle with) in the process?

I had to let go of the idea that I’m doing this wrong & I had fun with the glissandos.

What challenges did you meet while connecting with your own freedom of expression in this project?

Learning to smile while playing and not looking so serious all the time. I connected with the music and found it freeing to be a part of the experience rather than one person playing a part

What other parts of your life were impacted by what you learned in this class, and how?

Seeing how playing this piece affected others. I love playing music, but seeing others moved by it had an impact on me.

What were your personal “Ahas”?

It’s fun to use the metronome, and you don’t have to play fancy and technical. I was playing the bass line and embellishing with glissandos, which added to the beauty of the whole.

Describe your final project so I know exactly what you’re sending me.

This is a medley leading to prayer for Ireland. Ireland is no stranger to turbulence, but this is more about the current turbulence than the past.

Attach your homework in PDF or JPEG format here:

IMG_1914.jpeg
IMG_1913.jpeg

Describe your written materials – if there’s anything in particular you want to say about it to help people know what they’re looking at, add that here.

This medley went through many changes, and I intend to add pictures of the planning process and the final cheat sheet that I used.

What principles from this course or from chats did you use to develop, perform, and record this project – and how did they play a part in your process?

This medley is short on introductions and transitions, partly because there was a lot to fit into three minutes.
I kept returning to DHC‘s comment that when your project is being led by your higher power, some rules go out the window.

Give a short description of what it took for you to be able to play what you did – both logistically and emotionally.

My mother was Scottish. My father had the Irish side. And one day my father quietly said you and your sisters always do Scottish things, but you don’t do Irish things.  St. Patrick’s Day has grown in importance since then year after year and now I celebrated almost entirely in memory of my father.

What freedoms and blocks within yourself did you connect with (or struggle with) in the process?

There was so much that I wanted to include. It ended up very streamlined. I’m pleased with the results. If I were to change it anymore, I would change the middle two tunes to be in the second person: may you arise today, may Christ be beside you. But at this point, it is what it is.

What challenges did you meet while connecting with your own freedom of expression in this project?

As I said above, there was so much that I wanted to put in – – especially the tune that my father sang for me, which was Phil the Fluter’s Ball.

What other parts of your life were impacted by what you learned in this class, and how?

If I hadn’t been in a St. Patrick’s Day mood, I could’ve done a final project using snippets., I feel like the snippet club is another final beginning project all by itself.

What were your personal “Ahas”?

I think the biggest a-ha was how much more effective it would be if I changed the second and third verse to second person prayers,

Is there anything else you want people to know when they watch your video?

This was supposed to be just a timing run, and there’s a few awkward moments where I’m staring blankly at the cheat sheet, trying to figure out what to do next. But after several more takes, and several previous takes this was the version I was most willing to share, so it is what it is.

Describe your final project so I know exactly what you’re sending me.

I think this video is a better fit for creative resonance course.

Describe your written materials – if there’s anything in particular you want to say about it to help people know what they’re looking at, add that here.

My video is a small segment from Eva’s Journey. 
I am reluctant to tell the story behind this segment since I don’t want to put images in the mind of listeners.
But , I am curious as to what images are coming up in the listener’s mind.
And I wonder how effective is this fragment of idiomatic sounds… 
As you will hear it’s not the usual “harpy” sound but rather more percussive. 
I appreciate any feedback.

What principles from this course or from chats did you use to develop, perform, and record this project – and how did they play a part in your process?

In chats we talked about contrasting elements, development of theme, improvisation and closing. While this is only a segment and the theme of the piece is not heard , I tried to treat this new chapter in the story with its own theme , development and closing. 
Please let me know if this works.

Give a short description of what it took for you to be able to play what you did – both logistically and emotionally.

This segment took a long time to form. It was a very emotional and vivid experience for me.

What freedoms and blocks within yourself did you connect with (or struggle with) in the process?

I had to get away from conventional harp . The subject demanded a different approach. Also , I opted for harmonies more suited and tried to get away from the tonal aspect .

What challenges did you meet while connecting with your own freedom of expression in this project?

Development of images in sound on the harp wasn’t easy. I kept hearing other instruments.

What other parts of your life were impacted by what you learned in this class, and how?

I took long periods of time away from this composition. It felt overwhelming.

What were your personal “Ahas”?

In order to keep the attention I had to shrink the composition… make it more compact , more concise 

Share the link to your video here:

https://youtu.be/kOizE4Q142o

Describe your final project so I know exactly what you’re sending me.

Full play-through of Ave Generosa by Hildegard von Bingen, after submitting portions of it all quarter.  It is longer than 3.5 minutes, so please START at time stamp 1:38.

Attach your homework in PDF or JPEG format here:

Ave Generosa roadmap.jpg

Describe your written materials – if there’s anything in particular you want to say about it to help people know what they’re looking at, add that here.

This is a photo of the roadmap for the snippet themes of Ave Generosa by Hildegard von Bingen

What principles from this course or from chats did you use to develop, perform, and record this project – and how did they play a part in your process?

1. Impulse:  I LOVE this piece.  2. Structure: Made a roadmap so I could actually learn it on harp.  3. Character: Connecting with the spirit of this piece.  4.  Roles: My left hand had to learn new roles, to move back and forth between accompaniment and filling in bits of melody when the piece had B-naturals in a phrase.  5.  Practice: Lots and lots and lots.  6:  Deconstruction: Being present for the whole journey with this project and keeping my commitment to myself to submit something every week this quarter so I would actually practice and learn this on the harp.  7. Lift-Off:  The recording was nowhere near perfect, but I was able to shift my mindset from hyper-critical <recoring> mode to performance mode and let it be whatever it was in the moment, and let it go, and post it for Final Beginning Project.

Give a short description of what it took for you to be able to play what you did – both logistically and emotionally.

Breaking this long piece of a kaleidoscope of medieval chant snippet variations into manageable chunks and working on them week by week by week, till I was finally able to play them all together in order.

What freedoms and blocks within yourself did you connect with (or struggle with) in the process?

The hand geography/choreography for this piece put me back into learning and having to accept beginner’s mind, beginner’s errors, beginner’s determination, if I were going to learn this piece.  Submitting a portion of it every week put me in a different frame of mind– more practical than worried as the quarter progressed.

What challenges did you meet while connecting with your own freedom of expression in this project?

I needed to figure out and get comfortable the hand geography for playing this on a double strung harp with Bb on one row of strings and B-natural on the other and internalizing the map for which snippets had which version of B, and modifying phrasing to account for this.

What other parts of your life were impacted by what you learned in this class, and how?

I had to plan better how to get this all done and keep my commitment to myself, and keep going even when I wanted to skip a week.

What were your personal “Ahas”?

I did it!!! YAY!  Now it can become part of something I can actually do rather than noodle through and wish I knew it well enough to play it like I know it.

Is there anything else you want people to know when they watch your video?

Thank you to everyone who has listened and commented on my journey to learning this piece.  I never would have pushed myself without your kind feedback and encouragement.

Describe your final project so I know exactly what you’re sending me.

The complete vision of Water in the Morning. Played very imperfectly.

Attach your homework in PDF or JPEG format here:

Water In the Morning FBP.pdf

Describe your written materials – if there’s anything in particular you want to say about it to help people know what they’re looking at, add that here.

This is a harmonic map of how and where the song flows between the present and the past.

What principles from this course or from chats did you use to develop, perform, and record this project – and how did they play a part in your process?

I started with a snippet. I moved the base and that changed the harmony. I improvised and when I heard a change that I liked, I captured it. And words came quickly. I knew what I wanted it to be about and I chose 2 modes for the 2 moods/timeframes – and stuck with them.

Give a short description of what it took for you to be able to play what you did – both logistically and emotionally.

logistically, I still can’t play it all the way through – even though I’ve only worked on the left hand. It doesn’t “flow” yet in my brain and I keep forgetting where I am in the story.

What freedoms and blocks within yourself did you connect with (or struggle with) in the process?

I struggled with how to tie it together, but again, improvisation was my friend.

What challenges did you meet while connecting with your own freedom of expression in this project?

I was concerned that my desire to tell a particular story, to craft it, would make it sound trite. But I’m very happy with the ending.

What other parts of your life were impacted by what you learned in this class, and how?

I have no good answer for this.

What were your personal “Ahas”?

Sometimes what starts out feeling trite can end up powerful.

Is there anything else you want people to know when they watch your video?

Well, I really just wanted to get it on a video, so I stopped several times to look at my paper. I’m hoping to edit that out using Canva, so you’ll either see me duck down several times, or see a few cuts in the film.

Describe your final project so I know exactly what you’re sending me.

I’ve done something totally different. I’m working on a product to help harpists deal with inclement weather.

What principles from this course or from chats did you use to develop, perform, and record this project – and how did they play a part in your process?

To be fully honest, I have been torn in too many directions this quarter to dive fully. I focused on what I could do.

Give a short description of what it took for you to be able to play what you did – both logistically and emotionally.

I didn’t do much playing this quarter. I did a LOT of measuring, drawing, and sewing. 

What freedoms and blocks within yourself did you connect with (or struggle with) in the process?

I did feel like I struggled a fear of failure when it comes to starting my sewing business.

What challenges did you meet while connecting with your own freedom of expression in this project?

I found help for starting my business and discovered when you make connections with others who are there to help you, it isn’t as complicated or scary. 

What other parts of your life were impacted by what you learned in this class, and how?

I am gaining confidence in my ability to create my own company, and the grace to know that if it doesn’t work out, it does NOT mean it’s the end of the world. 

What were your personal “Ahas”?

Appreciating myself for my ideas and initiative.

Is there anything else you want people to know when they watch your video?

I’ll have to create a discount code exclusively for Hip Harp Academy members 🙂